Dispose of Paint Properly

Your home improvement project is done and it looks great, but now what do you do with the leftover paint? Those old cans of paint in your basement, garage, or in the corner of your closet, can't just be pitched out with the trash. They're considered hazardous household waste and need to be discarded with due caution. Here's what to do:

• Read the label. The paint's manufacturer should include instructions on disposing of used paint. Follow those guidelines.
• Dry out latex paints. You can dump some sand or kitty litter into the can to speed the process, but it may still take a few weeks. Keep the cans away from pets and small children (outside if possible). Make sure the paint is completely dried out by poking a screwdriver into it and looking for any liquid underneath the top. Take oil-based paints to a hazardous-waste collection center.
• Remove lids. If your community allows you to throw paints in the trash, be sure to take lids off so garbage haulers can see that the cans are dried out and empty of paint.
• Check community resources. Find out what's available in your community for recycling or disposing of all paints - latex, oil-based, spray paint, etc.